Revamped machiya with all the necessary modern fittings to make for a comfortable and unique stay right in the heart of Gion historical & cultural district. A great and intimate experience with history and culture along with paper thin architecture for an ultimate authentic living.

We were a studio group of 18, with 11 of us staying in both the villas located next to each other of BenTen Residences. It served as a great corporate off-site commune and base to move around with our bikes over 3 days. Located just off the touristy spots in a small quiet lane, these choice villas are a steal if they are available, be sure to book early.

An e-concierge service is a available with almost instant online help with reservations for meals and travel arrangements prior to your arrival and during your stay. Yuko & Talase were most helpful and their attention to detail made our stay with understated perfection. Logistics were all settled upon arrival at the station lounge, and you couldn't ask for more to make everything seamless!

My mother and I stayed 7 nights in mid November in the larger of the two machiyas (Benten East) and thoroughly enjoyed it. The house has been thoughtfully and tastefully re-fitted (only the structure is original I believe) with good attention to detail and is equipped with all mod cons. It was clean, warm and very comfortable. Location wise it is close to the Gion District and Kiyomizu temple and lots of eating places. This was our first visit to Japan and we had our itinerary organised by Shimaya's e-concierge service. We had given them an idea beforehand of the things we wanted to do in Kyoto and they took care of everything - from cooking classes to visiting Kyoto's main sights, with transport and English speaking guides. It worked really well for us. We would be happy to stay here again and certainly hope to return!

Fantastic place and service! When I take my elderly parents (dad is 70) with me on holidays overseas, convenience, accessibility and comfort is usually my primary concern. It was our first time in staying in a machiya and while my parents were a bit hesitant when I told them that we were going to try "a new type of accommodation", they were really impressed by the place when we arrived - the interiors, carpentry work, the details, furnishing, etc. My dad cannot stop raving about the architecture and thought given to the design of place. My mom feels really comfortable with the amenities provided. I particularly like to the decor (beautiful water color pieces in the bathrooms) and the surrounding areas provided a nice environment to explore during my morning runs. The concierge was very helpful and thoughtful about my family's needs - their recommendations were customized to our likes and dislikes. They even arranged for lunch to be delivered to the lodging cause we were scheduled to arrive past lunch and were trying to catch a tour. All in all it was a very good and comfortable stay. My parents insists on going back sometime soon! Thank you Shimaya!

We spent 3 nights here in October and it was the perfect holiday. I would highly recommend it without reservation. Shimaya Stays' e-Concierge service was prompt and a breeze to communicate with throughout our stay. We had informed them of our needs and a few things we wanted to do, and within a couple of days they had arranged a thoughtful itinerary and booked the restaurants we wanted to eat at based on our preferences. We received accurate and exceedingly helpful advice on how to get around and things to do during our time there. Themachiya is centrally located yet wonderfully private along a small peaceful street; it is just minutes walk from many restaurants and eateries, including Sodoh and Arabica, where the latter brews up possibly the best coffee in the area. We stayed at Ben Ten East which was equipped with everything we could want, from coffee machine to washing machine. It was sparklingly clean (daily housekeeping included) and such a lovely place to come home to after a long day. We cannot wait to return.

Awesome stay! We spent four nights there. Luxurious comfort in a beautifully designed practical machiya. Great location. The concierge service was amazing, cannot thank the concierge team enough for their help in planning an itinerary for our family vacation.

Just spent 3 nights there. First thing that catch your attention is the privacy and space (which is alot by Japanese standard). Best feature of the place for me has to be the hot tub, which is a life saver after a whole day of walking around in Kyoto. Location is fantastic, which is walking distance to places like Yasaka, Kiyomizu-dera and Kodai-Ji. Managed to discover good food and coffee near the area, which was great. Great for families and couple friends!